"I am wondering where Leyah is keeping herself while she stays here?" The
Count inquired.
Everyone froze.
Jonny looked over to Jessie who stood with her mouth open in disbelief. Hadji raised a brow and smiled slightly before he spoke.
"Are you referring to Alleyah?"
"Alleyah?" The Count smiled slyly. "You are so formal. Yes, of course. I've known Leyah all of her life. I was surprised to hear that she was staying here. I thought she'd be rushing off to prepare for her private art studies in Venice."
Jonny's eyes became slits. Leyah? How close were they? Not 'too' close or she would have been down with everyone else to greet him. Wouldn't she?
"She spends a lot of her time reading." Jessie replied with a smile. Her mind was also trying to figure out the relationship. As far as she could tell they were as different as night and day. Of course, that could be the main attraction.
"I can't wait to see her." The Count's eyes seemed cloudy and Jonny felt disturbed.
Hadji was slightly perplexed as well. Alleyah was so distant that he had not thought of her social circles let alone any friends. Leyah? Could she be close to Count Marcus?
A horrible feeling of heartache filled Hadji's chest. Perhaps, this was one of the reasons she was being so distant from him. Her heart belonged to another man.
"This is wonderful of course!" The Count replied as he walked to the middle of his room and surveyed it with a smile. "Thank you."
"If you need anything just ask." Neela smiled warmly and then she left the room.
"Count?" Jessie began.
"Marcus, I would like you to call me Marcus." He focused in on her and for a brief moment Jessie felt herself becoming light headed. Marcus voice boomed suddenly and Jessie felt as though for a brief moment she had been in a dream. "All of you may call me Marcus."
"Yes," Jessie smiled and focused on what she wanted to know. "You and Alleyah are friends? She hasn't mentioned that to any of us."
"We are one of the same. She is the sun and I am the moon. "He smiled and Jessie looked over to Hadji whose expression was unreadable.
"Well," Jonny interrupted. "I'm going to go. I'll let you unpack and catch up with Hadji."
"Nice to have met you, Mr. Quest." Marcus smiled warmly but it was the use of Jonny's last name that let him know the Count disliked him as much as he disliked the Count.
Jonny was glad to be out of the room. He was glad to be away from the Count's manipulative voice and lingering eyes. Eyes that were dark and seemed to have a power over Jessie.
'Maybe it's time I researched Count Marcus and see what this guy is all about.' Jonny decided to himself.
As Jonny turned the corner, he was surprised to see Alleyah standingin the hallway. He almost missed her completely. She was so quiet and had such a way about her that she seemed to almost blend in to her surroundings which with her striking appearance, wouldn't seem possible. She stood silently next to the library door. She must have heard him and stepped out to see who it was.
"Good afternoon." Jonny smiled. He still wasn't very comfortable with Alleyah. He found he was extremely attracted to her though he didn't have feelings for her the way he did for Jessie. In a strange way, he was intimidated by her rare beauty and he found himself staring at her even when all he intended was to catch a glance. He and Jessie had tried talking to her one day but she was very withdrawn and seemed disinterested.
"The Count asked about you."
"Did he," Alleyah replied rather then asked in her usual unemotional tone, but she did raise a brow and her lovely violet eyes looked away from him and down the direction he came.
"Are you two friends?" Jonny asked even though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.
"Count Marcus is not a friend of mine." Alleyah returned to the library and quietly shut the door behind her.
"He's not my friend either," Jonny mumbled and he continued on to his room.
Everyone froze.
Jonny looked over to Jessie who stood with her mouth open in disbelief. Hadji raised a brow and smiled slightly before he spoke.
"Are you referring to Alleyah?"
"Alleyah?" The Count smiled slyly. "You are so formal. Yes, of course. I've known Leyah all of her life. I was surprised to hear that she was staying here. I thought she'd be rushing off to prepare for her private art studies in Venice."
Jonny's eyes became slits. Leyah? How close were they? Not 'too' close or she would have been down with everyone else to greet him. Wouldn't she?
"She spends a lot of her time reading." Jessie replied with a smile. Her mind was also trying to figure out the relationship. As far as she could tell they were as different as night and day. Of course, that could be the main attraction.
"I can't wait to see her." The Count's eyes seemed cloudy and Jonny felt disturbed.
Hadji was slightly perplexed as well. Alleyah was so distant that he had not thought of her social circles let alone any friends. Leyah? Could she be close to Count Marcus?
A horrible feeling of heartache filled Hadji's chest. Perhaps, this was one of the reasons she was being so distant from him. Her heart belonged to another man.
"This is wonderful of course!" The Count replied as he walked to the middle of his room and surveyed it with a smile. "Thank you."
"If you need anything just ask." Neela smiled warmly and then she left the room.
"Count?" Jessie began.
"Marcus, I would like you to call me Marcus." He focused in on her and for a brief moment Jessie felt herself becoming light headed. Marcus voice boomed suddenly and Jessie felt as though for a brief moment she had been in a dream. "All of you may call me Marcus."
"Yes," Jessie smiled and focused on what she wanted to know. "You and Alleyah are friends? She hasn't mentioned that to any of us."
"We are one of the same. She is the sun and I am the moon. "He smiled and Jessie looked over to Hadji whose expression was unreadable.
"Well," Jonny interrupted. "I'm going to go. I'll let you unpack and catch up with Hadji."
"Nice to have met you, Mr. Quest." Marcus smiled warmly but it was the use of Jonny's last name that let him know the Count disliked him as much as he disliked the Count.
Jonny was glad to be out of the room. He was glad to be away from the Count's manipulative voice and lingering eyes. Eyes that were dark and seemed to have a power over Jessie.
'Maybe it's time I researched Count Marcus and see what this guy is all about.' Jonny decided to himself.
As Jonny turned the corner, he was surprised to see Alleyah standingin the hallway. He almost missed her completely. She was so quiet and had such a way about her that she seemed to almost blend in to her surroundings which with her striking appearance, wouldn't seem possible. She stood silently next to the library door. She must have heard him and stepped out to see who it was.
"Good afternoon." Jonny smiled. He still wasn't very comfortable with Alleyah. He found he was extremely attracted to her though he didn't have feelings for her the way he did for Jessie. In a strange way, he was intimidated by her rare beauty and he found himself staring at her even when all he intended was to catch a glance. He and Jessie had tried talking to her one day but she was very withdrawn and seemed disinterested.
"The Count asked about you."
"Did he," Alleyah replied rather then asked in her usual unemotional tone, but she did raise a brow and her lovely violet eyes looked away from him and down the direction he came.
"Are you two friends?" Jonny asked even though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.
"Count Marcus is not a friend of mine." Alleyah returned to the library and quietly shut the door behind her.
"He's not my friend either," Jonny mumbled and he continued on to his room.